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H. W. SoUrHufeisen,v or. MITTINEAGUE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters .Patent No. 81,025, dated August 11, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN PADS -FOR HORSES HO0FS.-

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCEItN: y

Be it known that I, H. W. SOUTHWORTII, of Mittineague, in the county of Hampden, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented anew and useful Improved Ciishion Afor Horses Shoesg. and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, c'lcar, and exact description thereof, reference being had to thc accompanying drawings', .making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of a hoof with my invention applied. .Figure 2 represents the bottom of a hoof with my'inventionv applied. The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a raw-hide cushion, to he placed between horses hoofs and the shoes, whereby-the hoof is kept in a healthy condition, while the elasticity of such cushions of" raw hide relieves the horseslfeet of any feeling of tenderness or soreness which they may have acquired from any cause. Y v

The use of cushions between the shoe andhoot` has long been known and practised, but as yet none have been made ornsed which seem to meet all the requirements which it is desirable such an article should possess, from the fact that those which are made too elastic throw the shoe, or cause the nails to start more or less from the hoof. I 'Y Cushions made of .India rubber, or vulcanizedV rubbei, have been extensively used, but these are found to draw or heat, and this heating is avery prevalent caus'eof disease and tenderness in horses feet. To avoid this drawing'or heating of the feet, cushions ot' leather have been used, but'these are found objectionable, inasmuch as the acids, tannin, Sie., used in the various processes of tanning the' leather, always remain to greater or less extent in the leather, and, when suchgleather cushions are used, it is found that the hoof absorbs certain portions ofthe acids, tannin, 36e., remaining in the leather, thus injuring the hoof, and inducing disease in the feet,

It is well known that there 'exists a large proportion of gelatine or gelatinous matter in the hoofs of horses, and that one great canse of diseased and tender feet in horses-is, that the hoofs, `from various causes, become dry and hard, and lose, to some extent,.their natural elasticity, which elasticity, in a healthy hoof, is due principally to the presence of gelatine. l l

To overcome the objections contingent upon the use oi" rubber', leather, 3m., Imake the cushions of raw hide, as that articlel is tenacious, elastic, and well'adapted to the purpose, and contains a very large proportion of gelatine; and thus I apply, for thecu're and prevention of diseased and tender feet, the article itself` which enters-solargelyjnto the composition ofthe hoof in its natural 'and healthy state.

I nd that cushions made of raw hide are kept sufficiently moist and pliable rotu common use to render thei peculiarly adapted to this purpose, and they also impart a portion of their gelatinous moisture to the hoof, which absorbs more or less of all the gelatinous'properties ofthe rawhide, and the hoof isthus restored to its natural healthy condition. Y

The cushion, represented at b b in fig. 2, may be formed either by moulding, out out with a knife, stamped out by means of a die, or formed by any other suitablo means from raw hide inany of its forms, and of the proper thickness, and the cushion thus formed is applied to the hoof, the shoe c applied over it,- andthe nails e c' driven through the shoe and cushion into the hoof in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-.- The raw-hide cushion for horses shoes, constructed substantially as herein described, and for the purposes specified.

H. W. sournwoa'rn. Witnesses:

Tr A. Cunrrs, F. E. RICE. 

